Corrugated paperboard making machine



Feb. 8 1938. w sw T JR 2,107,430

CORRUGATED PAPERBOARD MAKING MACHINE Filed April 16, 1935 3 Shets-Sheec 1 INVENTOR ATTORNEY8 Feb. 8, 1938. e. w. SWIFT, JR

CORRUGATED PAPERBOARD MAKING MACHINE 3 Sheets-Sheet, 2 I

Filed April 16, 1955 INVEAANTCIJR George WSwiftJr: BY

W MYM ATTORNEYS Feb. 8, 1938. G. w. SWIFT, JR 2,107,430

CORRUGATED PAPERBOARD MAKING MACHINE Filed April l6, 1935 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 .mmuun INVENTOR I BY v V ATTORNEYS Patented Feb. s. 1938 v 2,107,430

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE oonnuon'run PAPERBOARD MAKING MACHINE George W. Swift, .lr., Bordcntown, N. .L, assignmto George W. Swift; 1Jr.',;;-I nc.,. Bordentown, N. J., a corporation of New Jersey Application April 16, 1935, Serial No. 16,542

' 1 Claim. (Cl. 154-30) In the manufacture of double facedcorrugated conjunction with the accompanying drawings, paperboard, the continuously produced sheet is discloses certain constructionsoperable in acusually fed from the delivery end of the so-called cordance therewithf this disclosure, however, double-backing machine to a cut-off mechanism is to be regarded as merely illustrative of the 5 driven in timed relation thereto and operating principles of the invention. In the drawings- 5 periodically to cut up the continuous sheet into Fig. l is a general side view, somewhat diablanks of specified lengths; and to avoid the grammatic and with certain sections of the maexpense of retrimming operations it is frequently chine cut away, of the cooling section of a double. important that the length of out be very precise. backer. I

It is possible to time the cycle of operation of Fig. 1a is a view generally similar in nature to 10 the cut-off mechanism very precisely for blanks Fig. 1 showing at the left the intermediate part of different lengths, but the rate of feed of the of the machine where the heating section ends corrugated paper web through the cut-01f mechand the cooling section beg n and at the Fight anism necessarily corresponds to its rate of the entrance end of the machine.

travel through the double-backer and accord- Fig. 2 is a section on line 2-2 of Fig. 1 looking l6 ingly if this rate of feed is irregular and uncer in the'direction of the arrows. tain, the blanks cut will be irregular inlength Fig. 3 is a top plan view of the entrance end even though the cut-off mechanism is set to of the machine.

operate at precisely timed intervals. The corru- Fig. 4 is a detail side view, with ce ta Parts 29 gated paper sheet while passing through the cut away, of the entrance end of the machine. double-backer, in order to avoid injury thereto, "The illustrated construction of double-backing must be fed frictionally under relatively light machine or double-facer has along table i suppressure as contrasted to high pressure which Ported y n ards 2 at appr p Willis would insure a positive feed proportional to the as well as by a frame 3 at its delivery'end. A

I speed of the machine, and variations between the Web of single faced corrugated paper t (Fig. la)

speed of travel of the paper web and the positively is fed in known manner, into the entrance end driven parts of the double-backer accordingly are of the machine in conjunction with a second facan important factor leading to the production of ing sheet 5 and the double-faced corrugated blanks which are irregular in length. Paperboard thereby constituted then passes I have found that a regularity of feed of the through the first or heating section of the ma- 3Q corrugated sheet suificient to avoid the necessity chine where it passes over a series of heater of retrimming operations and using cut-off plates 6 located in table I. mechanisms already commercially available, may The upp Surface f e S t f Corrugated be obtained in a simple and practical manner, paperboard i8 fi a y engaged and fed orby maintaining while the corrugated paper web d t h the h a e t Of e machine, 35 is passing through the double-backensubstanand in fact substantially throughout its travel tially constant (but moderate) longitudinal tenthrough the machine, by an upper series of flexsion on the series of endless friction conveyor ible endless friction-conveyor members i usually members which engage and frictionaliy advance made f ca v s, which a d sp d s d y d the corrugated paper web through the machine. across substantially the entire width of the ma- 40 The conveyor members moreover will operate chine and have their lower passes 8 in contact more smoothly at high speeds. Such an arrangewith the corrugated paper sheet. These flexible ment also has the advantage of saving shutconveyor members i pass around and are driven down time and consequent loss of production on by frictional engagement with the positively the machine, in that the operation of cutting driven driving roll 9 supported by the frame 3 45 pieces out of the friction belts to shorten them, at the delivery end of the machine, the rcli it bewhich heretofore has often required shutting ing driven in suitable manner not necessary to down the machine, and has frequently interbe described in detail, from a main drive shaft rupted production, may be avoided or postponed as which may extend along one side of the mauntii the machine is non-productive by taking up chine and be supported by suitable bearings it so on the tensions of the belts as above described, carried by the standards 2 and frame 15'. The during production. Further objects and advanmain drive shaft it usually will serve to drive tages of the invention will be in part obvious in timed relation all of the machinery used in and in part specifically referred to in the speciconjunction with the double-facer, such as a flcation hereinafter contained which, taken in single-facer which precedes it and cut-01f mech- 55 anlsin (not illustrated) located somewhat beyond the delivery end of the double-facer and receiving the paperboard at the'same rate as fed the double-facer. mlss'ipn ll of. suitable known type will usually be interposed between the drive shaft II and roll 8,

as indicated diagrammatically in Fig. l, for the purpose of enabling the speed of rotation of the driving roll to be accurately coordinated with the speed of other mechanisms which are also driven from shaft il in timed relation.

The upper passes of conveyor members I may a (Fig. la).

The part of the continuous web which is passing through the above described heating section of the machine is fnictionally urged forward only by engagement with the lower passes l of the conveyor members above described, the lower face of the sheet being exposed to the action of the stationary heater plates 6, but as the sheet passes to the second .or cooling section of the machine, the under surface of the sheet is also engaged by the upper passes it of a second series of flexible friction conveyor members iiwhich andare frictionally driven by aroll lli-I-at'the delivery end of the machine, this roll I ;being positively driven in suitable manner whichneed not be described in detail from the main drive shaft IO and in timed relation to driving roll 9, but the driving connections usually including the variable speed transmission i'l above referred to.

The endless conveyor members I! also pass around an idler roll ll (Fig. located at the entrance end of the cooling section of the machine and thus the corrugated paper sheet is fed through the machine, in the heating section thereof, by the frictlonalengagement of the upper conveyor members therewith, and in the cooling section of the machine by the result of the combined advancing frictional forces produced by the engagement of the upper conveyorinjury thereto, irregularities of feed may arise from'a cause or causes which are vdiillcult to 8 8- regate for given operating conditions; it may be for example that the advancing forces applied to the sheet by the upper and lower series of conveyor members are unbalanced causing the sheet to slip back irregularly with respect to one series or the other, or both, and/or causing either or both series to slip back irregularly with regard to its respective driving roll, or a combination of the above factors. In any event if a cut-off mechanism be used which is precisely timed in its cycle (and such are commercially available) I have found that regulation of the longitudinal tensions of the conveyor members as hereinafter described in greater detail may be' effectively.

employedto correct irregularities in the length of cut. Usually it will berequlred to. adjust the tensions of the conveyor members to eliminate slack and provide a moderate tension thereon A variable speed transit may be desirable to relieve the vtensions somewhat for the purpose of avoiding unnecessary stretching of the conveyor members, The above operations moreover do not entail the likelihood of applying injurious pressure to the corrugated paperboard sheet. I am of course aware of the prior use of so-called belt tighteners of various constructions; but in so far as I am aware the possibility ofremedying irregularities of feed underthe peculiar conditions met with in feeding corrugated paperboard frictionally between series of endless conveyors such as are found in double-facers, by maintaining longitudinal tension in the conveyor members as above described, has not been previously appreciated nor demonstrated, although these double-facing machines have been in use over a period of about twentylive years or more, and numerouseilorts have "2|! as by pins 22 insertable inany one of a number of holes 21 in ways 20,. may be provided to hold the brackets |s,- n;..pq l on When it is desired to regulate the members], screws 2 the 2i may be adjusted M therefore roller i3, along y The roll i2 will be adjustedfr'om tim to maintain a moderate tension in the conveyor members I, and in case the screws 24 have opmated to their full extent, the pins 22 and abutment members 2i may be adjusted further toward or from the entrance end of the machine to provide an added range of further adjustment through the operation of screws 24. During the adjustment of abutment members 2i, the brackets I! may be temporarily held in position by pins 220 (Fig. 4) which are selectively engagee conveyor able in notches 220 (Fig. 3) inthe ways 20, these pins 22a being disengaged as soon as the screws 2 are again brought into play. To adjust the roll I! toward and away from the corrugated paper sheet its bearing blocks 25 may be slidable along vertical ways 26 on brackets l9, and adjusted by threaded spindles 2'I passingthrough the bearings blocks 25, but with this phase of the machine the present invention is not particularly concerned.

To regulate the tensions of the lower series of endless conveyor members It, a roll 28 (Fig. 1)

supported by bearing blocks 29 which are slidable vertically on ways 30 on one of the pedestals 2, may be employed. As shown the lower of conveyor members I! pass underneath and partially around this roll 20, and are held in engagement therewith by guide rolls 3i and I2.

spindles 33 passing through its bearing blocks 29 may be used, the roll 28 thereby being raised or lowered to increase or decreasethe tension on the lower series of conveyor members, as the spindles 22 are turned. In the illustrated form of the invention, all the conveyor members making up each series are regulated simultaneously by the adjustment of roll II or roll 28 as the case may For changing the position of roll 28, threaded v 2,107,430 be, it not being essential to regulate individually each of the conveyor members of the respective series although there is no objection to so doing except the added expense and complication insion throughout the lengths of the conveyor members.

A double-facer having the features of the present invention has another advantage in addition to or aside from the accuracy of feed which may be thereby obtained. In using prior machines, it has been the practice to run the conveyor members loose, and although a small amount of excess slack could be taken up (it was not practical thereby to keep the conveyor members under tension) for example by lifting up the small idler rolls such as have been used to support the upper passes of the upper series of conveyor members, it has often been necessary to interrupt production on the machine and shut it down while pieces of the conveyors were cut out and their ends respliced. In the case of a machine having the features of the present invention, however, the necessity of so cutting out pieces of the conveyors may be in some instances entirely avoided, and in other instances adjustment of the tension mechanisms will enable repairs to be postponed until the machine is idle for other reasons. 7

It should be understood that various features of a double-facing machine with which the present invention is not particularly concemed,have not been described in detail including some parts shown in the drawings, since the same are well understood in the art and are not necessary to an understanding of the features of this invention, and while a particular construction of double-facer has been described it should be understood that many changes may be made therein without departing from the invention in its broader aspects, within the scope of the appended claim.

I claim:

A corrugated paper double-backing machine, having an upper series of flexible endless frictionconveyor members disposed side by side across substantially the entire active width of the machine, and with their lower passes in position to overlie and frictionally advance the upper surface of a corrugated paper web traveling through the machine, a driving roll around which-said frictional conveyor members run, and an idler rolllocated at the entrance end of the machine around which said frictional conveyor members also run, means being provided'whereby the position of said idler roll may be adjusted toward and away from the entrance end ofthe machine to maintain longitudinal tension in said conveyor members, an abutment member adjustable along the machine for limiting the longitudinal movement of said idler roll, and means for adjusting the longitudinal position of the roll relatively to said abutment member.

GEORGE W. SWIFT, JR. 

